PHILADELPHIA — Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is supposed to strike an optimistic tone with her speech at the Democratic National Convention, but her speech excerpts tell a different story.
In excerpts released prior to her speech, the former secretary of state talks about the dangers our country faces.
“America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying. And just as with our founders there are no guarantees,” Clinton will say. “It’s truly is up to us. We have to decide whether we’re going to work together so we can all rise together.”
So she’s going to spread doom and gloom, and add a couple sentences at the end of the paragraph that are supposed to be optimistic?
In another excerpt, Clinton mentions national security. Again, she starts by pointing out the dangers of the world and ends with just a little optimism.
“The choice we face is just as stark when it comes to our national security. Anyone reading the news can see the threats and turbulence we face. From Baghdad and Kabul, to Nice and Paris and Brussels, to San Bernardino and Orlando, we’re dealing with determined enemies that must be defeated,” she will say. “No wonder people are anxious and looking for reassurance — looking for steady leadership.”
Another excerpt is a bit more optimistic, but does mention places that are currently hurting in America.
“So I want to tell you tonight how we’re going to empower all Americans to live better lives. My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States. From my first day in office to my last,” Clinton will say. “Especially in places that for too long have been left out and left behind. From our inner cities to our small towns, Indian Country to Coal Country. From the industrial Midwest to the Mississippi Delta to the Rio Grande Valley.”
I’m not sure how that paragraph explains how she’s going to “empower all Americans,” but maybe she will somewhere else in her speech.
And maybe the rest of her speech will be optimistic, because these excerpts really weren’t.
Ashe Schow is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
